Heart of Darkness
by AnimeKitty1896
Summary: Blossom has always been the nerdy, bookish twin sister to wild party girl Berserk. In love with her sister's boyfriend Brick, she was okay with it since she could stay close to him. But when a strange birthright give the twins some strange powers, Blossom finds out there is something worse than Berserk- a super-powered Berserk! Can she find love and fend off Berserk?
1. Chapter 1

Heart of Darkness

Blossom POV:

He walked up to me in the Quad. I was reading a book. I can't recall the title. All know is that it was a mystery.

His auburn hair brushed the collar of his shirt. He was a total bad boy, Brick Rush, and everyone knew it.

Me? I'm the geek. I'm the girl Friday for him. You know, run errands, do laundry, tutor... That stuff. My twin sister Berserk, his on-and-off girlfriend... She was his world.

At least that's what I thought.

I knew he was standing behind me for a while. Then, he moved to sit in front of me. And he still hadn't said a word.

I kept rereading the text in front of my bespectacled eyes, trying hard to tamper down on my fluttering heart.

"We should go out sometime." Brick announced. Of course, his ever present posse snickered. They knew he used me to organize parties and crap.

"Sure, what's the location, how many attending, and should I order pizza?" I gave him the usual question run down. His usual answer was "Same as always, see ya."

That was the extent of our conversations ever since Berserk came back from her private school. Before she'd returned, I had been privy to his life. Now, I just kept it organized enough for him to stay ahead.

He plucked my book from my hands. "I meant, you and I should go out."

I raised a brow. "To get supplies? Never needed a babysitter before Brick. I remember where-"

"I meant on a date. I'll pick you up at seven, tonight. Be ready." With that, he left.

I was shocked into utter silence, until I realized- "He took my book..."

I was chomping on a bag of chips lying on the couch when the storm blew in. I always described her as a storm. There was no other natural disaster to compare her to. She outgrew them all. So I just consider her the all around storm. Saves time.

She planted herself in front of the television set, hands on her designer jean-clad hips.

"Well?" she hissed.

I frowned. "Well, what? You're the one keeping me from watching 'Alien Surf Girls' reruns," I retorted.

She snatched the plug from the wall, effectively cutting off my Aussie-ogling time.

"What's your meltdown, Betsy?"

"I told you my name is Berserk now." She flared with anger. "And my meltdown is your going on a date with my boyfriend."

"Not your boyfriend considering you guys broke up three months ago. And he was joking."

I popped another handful of chips into my mouth as she digested this. She seemed ready to accept it, until the doorbell rang.

I absently listened as our dad answered the door.

"Oh, hello, Brick."

"Hello, Mr. Bourne."

I cringed.

"Berserk didn't mention she and you..."

"We don't. I'm here for Blossom."

A pause.

"To see her for homework. Well, she never mentioned-"

"We have a date."

A longer pause. I glanced at Berserk only to wish I hadn't. She was an unappealing shade of red.

"This joke is going too far..." I decided, getting up.

I marched over to the entryway and up to Brick and my father. "This is getting way out of hand, Brick-"

He looked at me, confused. "I said seven... You're not ready."

I frowned. "Because I'm not going."

"Why?"

"Because I don't want to be the butt of your joke."

"How is it a joke?"

My dad discretely disappeared. Brick and I were alone.

"You don't date me."

"I do now."

"You're missing the point!" I screamed. "I am your roadie, your girl Friday, and basically your maid when the occasion arises. But I am not your girlfriend."

He frowned. "Is dating me really that bad?" There was a bite in his tone.

I softened. "Brick, you know I'll always be your friend. But, dating you would be...awkward."

Brick raised a brow. "How?"

Was he oblivious? "You used to date me sister!"

"Who cares? Let's go." He jerked a thumb out the door.

I looked down at my clothes. Ratty old jeans, an old t-shirt from my ex boyfriend, and fuzzy socks. "I'm not going out like this."

"You better hurry." He smirked.

Groaning, I stomped upstairs to go change.

I found Berserk on my bed, ripping the stuffing out of my birthday bear-bunny that my ex had given me before he drifted. "Are you mental?!" I demanded, ripping the headless hybrid-plush toy out of her hands.

"Remember that next time you steal my boyfriend." Berserk sauntered out, casting a glare at me.

I sighed. This was going to be a long night.

Somehow, Berserk came with us. She bullied her way into the front seat, sneering at me with every chance she got.

I'd changed into a new pair of jeans, a "Project: Perfection" shirt, combed my hair into a low ponytail and donned some Converse.

"So where are you taking me, Brick?" Berserk bubbled.

I wanted to barf. The sugar sweetness of her voice grated my nerves.

"To Steve's." Brick looked at me in the rearview mirror. "I'm taking my date to Nirvana."

Berserk scowled at me. "But Brick... You never took me to Nirvana."

Nirvana was the king of date places. It was an Indian cuisine restaurant that looked like it was cut from an Indian romance movie, complete with hot waiters and waitresses. Too bad I hated Indian cuisine.

"Um... I kind of hate Indian..." I piped up from the back.

"Since when?" Brick asked. "You used to love it."

That was before Berserk came back and poured spicy curry on my head and stuffed nan bread down my back.

"I just don't see the appeal anymore." And after you had burning hot curry in your hair, dripping into your eyes, you'd understand too.

"Hmm..." We pulled over by Steve's house.

Steve was a former friend of Brick's and Berserk's only real male friend. Her other "friends" were guys who took her to bed, or the couch, or in the shower. And Berserk had no shame in bragging that her sex life was better than my own nonexistent one.

"Well?" Brick prompted as Berserk sulked in the seat.

"What, no goodbye kiss?" Berserk pouted.

I couldn't even tell if she were the third wheel or I was, the way she was acting! Not that I'd wanted to go on this date... But the last time I refused to go somewhere with Brick, he'd manhandled me into my prom dress- cotton underwear and all- and into the limo; it's enough to instill some values.

I sat back, content to check my email on my phone.

"Hell, no. Get out." His bluntness stung. Then again, he was always like that. Bluntness, thy name is Brick.

Berserk harrumphed and sauntered from the car, again glaring at me one final time. As if it were my fault Brick corralled me into this.

We sat there in the silence. Finally, Brick commanded, "Get up here."

"Pardon moi?" I replied. The bite in his tone was uncalled for.

"Get up here. To the front." Brick pointed to the vacated seat.

Why would I-"

He got out of the car, opened my door and picked me up, bridal style. I squeaked, an odd sound that resembled a mouse and a chicken.

He dumped me into the passenger seat, strapped me in and went around to his own seat. "Jerk," I griped as he started the car.

"Stubborn woman..." Brick retorted.

As we pulled up to Nirvana, I discretely gave him a once over. He was casually handsome, with a crimson dress shirt, black skinny jeans, and deep red Converse. His signature chunky leather wrist band was tightened firmly in place.

"I said I don't like-"

"You will. And if you don't, I'll take you somewhere else."

I slumped, knowing I was trapped. "Fine. Let's get this over with."

He was out of the car and around to my side in a moment. I blushed. "Look who discovered chivalry."

He smirked. "I have my points." He gently pulled me from the car, and I nearly gushed over it. Then I remembered the wrath of Berserk, and it died down.

I glared at Brick from across the table, periodically eating my spicy curry.

"What?" He raised a brow.

"You know what!" I hissed.

"He deserved it."

I was pissed. Brick had snapped at our waiter- possibly our former waiter- Raj, because he was describing the menu. And Brick didn't like the flirtatious way he was doing it.

"They're paid to lightly flirt Brick. Didn't you come here before?" I sighed.

"No."

That made me frown. Berserk always bragged about the swanky places Brick had taken her to. This was one of the places she bragged about. "Not even with Berserk?"

"Why would I take her here?" Brick's tactlessness reared up again. "She's not special. She's not you."

I blinked. "I'm special?"

Brick rolled his blue eyes. "Of course you are. You're my best friend. You're my girl Friday-"

Gee, how nice. A friendship date...

"You're the love of my life."

Whoa that's a new one. I raised a brow. "What?"

"Don't act like you don't know. You said it first. Remember last month?"

Oh yeah... That time he was delirious with a fever and I went over to help him get better. Or, I amended, that time I thought he was delirious. Apparently he'd been in his right mind. Which meant it was time for me to move to a boarding school on the opposite coast. I wonder if I could apply to an English boarding school. Wait, make it Australia. Nice, cute surfer guys to help me cope until Berserk finds me a rips my limbs off and feeds them to a shark-

"Stop overthinking this." Brick snapped.

"Stop making our relationship complicated, then!" I retorted.

"I'm just taking it to the next level," he rationalized.

"And what level is that? Insanity? Torture? Possible murder when my sister gets ahold of me?" I ranted.

"No, this!" He dragged me across the empty table- hey, when did the servers come and take away the nan bread basket?- and into his lap, and lip-locked me.

XXXX

AK: OKAY! Brick's eyes are blue right now for a reason. And Blossom and Berserk have green eyes. You'll see why in a couple chapters. R&R, please. Public opinion counts.


	2. Chapter 2

HoD 2

Brick's POV:

I was finally whole. I could feel it. My body was warm again. I couldn't hear that voice- the cold, ugly voice of my father- in my head. All I felt was...

Blossom.

She'd always been there for me.

Hell, even when I tried to get her to leave, she'd stuck it out.

I pressed her closer to me, letting the world fall away so I could keep her. Never let her leave me. Not now. Not ever.

Suddenly, Blossom was yanked from my arms and fell to the floor. "OW!"

"Blossom!" I moved to help her.

"You traitor! You could never be happy with what you had could you?" Berserk hissed. She tried to stomp on Blossom's hand with her red spike heels. I caught her by the ankle and tipped her onto her ass. She bumped into a waitress carrying hot curry and the tray's contents ended up on her black leather dress.

Blossom started to get up, only for Berserk to try and kick her. Instead, she gave Blossom the perfect opening to lay her out flat.

"That's it. I'm out of here." She glared at her sister, and then at me. What did I do? "Obviously you two deserve each other."

How did I deserve Berserk? I stood and tried to follow; the manager caught a hold of me.

"Young man, what is the meaning of this mess?" he thundered. "Do you have any idea the ruckus you've caused?!"

I glared at the middle aged balding man. "Bill it to Cyrus Rush." I bit out.

I ran off before he could do anything more.

XXXX

Blossom's POV:

My head was sore, my emotions were scattered, and my eyes were producing tears I refused to let fall. Yep, a perfect first date. Even worse than the one Berserk had set up for me with that jerk who'd left me in the parking lot after puking on my shoes. I'd had to call Brick to come get me with a pair of shoes from my closet. The only reason I'd called him? My dad was at a business conference and I was sure Berserk had planned around it all to make sure she and Brick were alone.

"Blossom, wait!"

Of course, Brick would come after me. "Look, I'll pay my half of the bill-"

"Not that!" He grabbed my hand. "Are you okay?"

"What?"

"Betsy yanked you pretty hard. Are you okay?" he asked.

"She calls herself Berserk now." I pointed out. "And I just have a little headache."

He touched my cheek and I nearly melted into him. Damn his irresistible charisma, I thought, my eyes closing as I leaned into his hand. I almost wanted to beg him to kiss me.

"Dammit, this is too tempting..." He cupped my cheeks in both hands and kissed me.

It was heaven... His tongue stroked mine and swept it up into a sensual dance. So hot...

He broke it for breath. "Let's go."

My brain was mush. I couldn't argue as he led me back to his car.

"Here," He got the door for me.

Once I was seated, and still dazed, he went around to his side. When the car started, I snapped out of it. "What about the mess?" I was OCD like that- never left a mess unattended.

"Billed it to my stepfather." Brick said offhandedly. He turned onto a narrower road.

"Where are we going?"

"Somewhere special- to both of us."

It dawned on me. "The cave lake?" I hadn't known he remembered.

"The cave lake," he confirmed.

It was a pre-Berserk's return location. Brick actually found it for me, as a birthday present. He'd even taken me here after prom- after Berserk had passed out from the free champagne in the limo's mini bar- so we could have our own last dance. It had been sweet, right up until my sister called, still drunk, asking if my "fat ass" was keeping him away. That had shattered the romantic notion in it. Even the natural glow of the cave had dimmed at the sound of her voice. He became Brick Rush, millionaire's kid and coolest boy at Sea Price High; not Brick Douglas, the boy who used to live next door and come over for our housekeeper's famous s'more cookies.

"Why?"

He glanced over at me, his eyes amused. "Because its our place. No one else knows about what it means to you but me and vise versa."

I melted inside. He was really an uncensored guy. Our shared college professors agreed, he didn't mince words.

He stopped at the outskirts of the forest and killed the engine. "Let's go; I have a blanket in the trunk, and I even prepared dessert."

I raised a brow. "You made dessert? You can't even get Jell-O to set right."

He frowned. "Cut me some slack. I had Rosa make some berry tarts."

"Not s'more cookies?" I taunted.

"She... thought these would last longer in my company. Actually, she told me these were your favorite- not s'more cookies like you always led me to believe." Brick pointedly looked at me.

"I confess, I only requested them for snacks because it was Brick-bait. You sure you aren't part bloodhound? As soon as the cookies were out of the oven, you had this inescapable urge to go back to my house for snacks."

"I have a sixth sense for them."

We trekked all the way to the cave and into it, rehashing the past and laughing over Berserk tales.

"And she once even pushed Betty Pitman into the deep end at the summer camp pool, and Betty dragged her into the pool with her. I swear the life guard was torn between agonizing over Julie's little boo-boo and letting them drown, or doing the right thing."

"So that's why boys had pool time cancelled..."

"I didn't even get to swim. I spent the day in the infirmary with Berserk, holding her hair back so she could yak back up the pool water. The nurse was too terrified of being bit again."

Brick chuckled. It was a nice sound. Almost a great as when he laughed. I know, usually the two are synonymous but with Brick they are totally different.

We walked over to the lake to lay out the blankets.

"So..." I began.

"So?"

"Why now, Brick?" I asked. I was dying to know. "Why are you trying after all this time?"

Brick looked up at the ceiling for a while. I looked up too. The crystals protruding from there glowed a serene blue light. "I just couldn't take the distance anymore."

"What distance? Brick we were close-"

"Were close; past tense. I couldn't touch you anymore, or ask you to do me favors, or even ask you to just come over without there being a reason. You shut me out, Blossom."

I blinked. "No, I didn't, I just-"

"Backed off; you gave into Betsy when she wanted you to, even when it made us farther apart."

I winced. It was true. I hadn't really stood my ground where Berserk was concerned. I just let her do whatever she wanted... Even when it took him away.

I blinked as a tear fell to stain the blue plaid blanket under us. "Oh, crap... I just couldn't fight her! Have you ever tried fighting her?!" I wailed.

Brick embraced me, rubbing my back soothingly.

"She's always been tougher, and even when she's mean, people love her. I mean, she took all my friends, and I thought- I thought she'd taken you too. I thought you wanted me to give you space to be with her. I was just happy when I got to be your girl Friday."

He pressed a kiss to my forehead. "I'd rather you just be my girl. I'm sorry it took so long, but if you want to, could we be together?"

His gentle plea... I nodded against his chest. "I'd love to."

XXXXX

Brick's POV:

It was morning and I didn't feel like sleeping in. That was a first. I looked down to see Blossom, sleeping with her head on my chest. That explained everything.

She started to stir, and she looked up at me, smiling sleepily. "Morning..."

"Morning, beautiful. Wanna head to IHOP for some breakfast?"

She hummed as she started to rise. "That sounds like heaven... Hold on, I've got an incoming call."

She answered it. "Hi, dad. Sorry I stayed out with Brick. But we didn't do anything- What?! When? Which hospital?" Her green eyes darted all over the cave.

I started getting up. This sounded serious.

When she finally hung up, she looked shaken. "Berserk got knifed a couple hours ago... She's in the hospital."

I rolled up the blankets. "I'll drive you there."

XXXX

AK: Isn't that just sad. Don't worry. There's a reason to this. But we're gonna skip ahead a few years. R&R, please.


	3. Chapter 3

HoD 3

AK: Time skip happens later. We find out about the hospital trip now. Berserk's POV to start. [A/N: 08/16- revising time line, characters will be revamped. Sorry for the inconvenience...]

XXXX

Berserk's POV:

The b**** came as planned. I put on my most pathetic look. Really, I just imitated the skank to perfection.

Johnny really did a good job with the knife, cutting just so and missing any vital parts. That's why he was going to get the goods later. You know, if he didn't get caught.

Johnny was a mental case. He couldn't even remember his own name half the time, he was so drugged up. But he occasionally made me feel good, so I kept him around.

Blossom cried into Daddy's arms like the little baby she was. Brick stood to the side, looking rumpled and so sexy. He occasionally glanced in at me, as if he expected me to get up and greet him. Please, I thought, Big Daddy Cyrus wasn't here for me to suck up to so it was a lost cause.

But I still didn't that ugly b**** anywhere near my future husband. I knew it was in the cards. I wanted him, and Blossom would step back and let me take him. Like she always did.

Occasionally she would try a rebel- a little rebellion on her part kept things interesting, kept me on my toes- but really, how could she compete with me? I was every guys walking wet dream. Their fantasies come to life. I was a f***ing goddess in red stilettos!

And my whiny, nerdy older twin? She was nothing. I ruled her. She was my little servant. And if she got out of line, I knew how to fix her.

My stupid family stepped into my room a simpering mess. F***ing babies. Brick followed behind, still holding Blossom's waist. No for long, sweetheart...

"Oh, Blossom... I'm so sorry." I lied.

She stiffened. Daddy stiffened. Brick stiffened. I think the nurses stiffened too. Dramatic f***s...

"I've been think about the way I treated you... How I was so mean and cruel to you..." I whimpered, wanting to gag the whole time. "I think this is a wake up call. I was just so unfocused, I thought everything belonged to me...

"And I know it's going to take some time to get us back to being sisters, but I want you around for the baby."

"The baby?" Daddy croaked. "What baby?"

"Oh, Daddy-" The retarded s***eater. "I begged to let me tell you in person... I wanted to wait until I could tell Brick the good news."

"Good news," he and Blossom parroted.

"Yes," I bubbled. "The great news actually."

"Yo7're moving in with Steve?"

I feigned a giggle. "No silly. We're having a baby!"

XXXX

Blossom's POV:

My world crashed. Brick had gotten Berserk pregnant. Brick was the father of my potential niece.

I felt woozy, and sick. Why me? Why the hell did it all happen to me? I jerked out of Brick's embrace, feeling sickened by it. He was the father to my niece- the niece growing inside of Berserk. My twin, the girl he'd chosen first.

I swallowed the lump in my throat and gave Berserk a watery smile. "That's- that's great, Betsy... Really, great. I- I'm so happy for you. Of course I'll forgive you... I just need some air. Y-you know to take this all in."

"Blossom-" I slapped Brick's reaching hands away.

"I need some air. Alone." I told him. Mentally, I started making plans. Transfer to another college. Get away from here. Away from it all. Away from the happy bubble my sister and the guy I loved would no doubt form. Away from my heartbreak. I had to grow out of my shell. Stop clinging to the old Brick.

I found myself on the roof, watching the clouds. The blue sky only acted as a reminder of the blue lit ceiling in the cave. Would he take her there? Would he share all his secrets with her?

I knew he would never leave his own progeny. He'd vowed to never be like his father Darrel Douglas- the deadbeat who'd ruined a family and left it broken as he died a too peaceful death at the hands of cancer.

And while I supported that, I couldn't stay. Knowing what I knew, I knew I couldn't stay.

"Blossom..."

He was behind me, I could feel it. "I know you have to do the right thing."

"Blossom, I-"

"I remember the promise you made in the hospital back then. How you swore you'd never be like Deadbeat Darrel... I respect that. And I'll step back to let you do that."

"But Blossom-"

I stood on my tiptoes and placed a kiss on his cheek, my tears wetting his cheek. "Good-bye, Brick. I love you, and I'll always be your friend."

XXXX

(Ten years later)

Normal POV:

Blossom stared out a the skyline. "Another board meeting, Devon?"

Her ever efficient assistant raked back her bangs and nodded. "Starting in ten minutes. With the CEO of R.T. Inc. I here he's got a smoking hot assistant."

"Flirt on your own time, Bubbles." Blossom chuckled, lapsing into calling the blonde by her nickname. "Alright, let's face the new client."

Blossom followed her assistant to the large boardroom. She absently fingered her necklace, off of which a blue crystal cut into a heart hung. It served as a memento. And a warning for her to be cautious.

As Bubbles pushed open the double doors, Blossom was greeted by a face she hadn't seen in years. And for good reason.

"Brick..." she choked out.

Apparently, he'd expected her. She stared at him dazedly as he approached her. Her fingers gripped the crystal as her knees started to melt.

"It's been a long time, Blossom." He stopped in front of her, close enough so that she could smell him- spicy, masculine and oh so yummy...

Blossom's mind was going a mile a minute. Keep it all under control, keep it together, stay in control, don't let it-

The lights overhead started to flicker and the automatic shutters began to go haywire.

"Boss!" hissed Bubbles from next to her, snapping her back to reality.

Instantly, she willed herself back into control. Everything settled. "Yes, very long." Blossom agreed. She peered around Brick's broad shoulders. "I'm sorry for the technical problems- our electricity is on the fritz and we're searching for a solution."

The other men at the table murmured their understanding. Satisfied that her excuse was bought, she returned her attention to Brick.

"What are you doing here?" she asked. "I thought you were taking over your stepfather's company."

He smirked. "I took over. And merged with a buddy's company. R.T. stands for Rush-Tritan."

She nodded absently. "So you want to talk ad ideas for the company. I heard there were two CEOs."

An odd occurrence, but not unheard of.

"He'll be late. So you're the brains behind New Image?"

She gave him a stiff smile. "It's my brain child. I did one little advertising thing for my friend and it was a hit. So I decided to put all my heart-" The parts that weren't occupied by Brick, anyways. "-into it. We're in the black right now thanks to a big project from Apple."

"It looks like it paid off." Brick nodded toward the table. "Should we get started?"

"Started? Oh, yeah, yeah... Let's." Blossom followed him back to the table, Bubbles on her heels.

XXXXX

Blossom's POV:

I heaved a sigh of relief when the meeting ended. My control had almost shattered. It was paper thin now.

I started to get up, eager to end the day and spend it back at my condo, on the couch, eating ice cream. Instead, Brick caught my wrist.

"Blossom, those were some amazing ideas." Brick praised. "You're team really captures our company's image."

I smiled my professional smile. "We aim to please at New Image. And those were just rough drafts. Michelle and Aaron can give you the good stuff once we have a better picture and a deeper understanding."

He nodded. "Right... So, we'll meet next Thursday for a progress report?"

She nodded. "Of course. Just check with Devon."

As I turned to leave, Brick called me back. "Yes?"

"Would you like to go out for dinner? Just a little reunion thing, nothing fancy. You can get to know my business partner a little better too."

So he was proposing a business thing? "Of course; I'll bring Devon along too. She's my expert critic on people."

He nodded, smiling- or maybe smirking was a better word. "Let's meet at someplace casual, but a little classy. You pick."

"How about Cher's Lounge? It's down the way."

"It's a date." He pressed a kiss to my cheek quickly, and quickly left.

I stood there shell-shocked. Bubbles crept up to my side. "Hot date tonight, Boss?" She was laughing of course. In the three years we'd worked together, I'd never had a "hot date". But it would be fun to shock her.

I shook my head and tried to play it lightly. "Yeah, wear your flirting heels. We're having dinner with the R.T. CEOs."

XXXX

AK: Talk about awkward... We just jumped a few years and both Brick and Blossom are successful. Can you guess who's gonna screw it all up? R&R, please.


	4. Chapter 4

HoD 4

AK: Now, we introduce some key characters!

*Devon (Bubbles)- Blossom's fashion savvy flatmate and secretary. She wants Blossom to be happy. Got her nickname from her laughter and her former last name "Champagne". She is also a witch.

*Buttercup Graceland- Blossom's first ever client and her other flatmate. She is a werewolf. She owns a dance studio and gym called "Power & Grace". She is protective of her friends.

*Luca (Boomer)- The other CEO of R.T. Inc. Seems to like Bubbles. Wants Brick to be with Blossom.

XXXX

Blossom's POV:

Bubbles ambushed me when we got home. "Spill it, boss!"

"Bubbly..." I groaned, rubbing my temples, trying to summon my world famous control. When it didn't come, I flopped back on the couch and kicked off my passion red Jamie Wu's. My feet sighed with relief.

"Oh no, you have to spill. How do you know that gorgeous slab of undeniable male charm and charisma?" Bubbles demanded.

I let my head drop back. "He's...my childhood friend-"

Bubbles squealed with glee.

"-and the reason I avoid Indian food and my hometown."

"Way to kill a flow, boss." Bubbles took the seat next to me and repeated my earlier shoe-kicking with her own Bobby Fuego's. "So what happened between you two?"

I rolled my eyes and snapped my fingers, conjuring up a glass of wine. The divine taste of Cabernet blotted some of the pain away.

Sometimes it just paid to do magic. "I fell in love with Brick back when we were kids in Sea Price Preschool.

He and I were really close, since he was an only child and my sister Betsy went to a school far away- she was supposed to be the family witch, by birth order, not me. Then Betsy came back in seventh grade, and started calling herself Berserk. She was...crazy. But Brick liked her more than me, so I kind of became a background character to the exploits of 'Berserk & Brick'. I was his girl Friday, the girl he could depend on to do the odd jobs around him to make sure he stayed on track with life." God, I sounded like twelve kinds of bitter. I gulped more wine and continued. "Brick and Berserk weren't a stable couple by any means. Berserk had a tendency to be dramatic, vindictive, malicious..."

"How bad could she be?"

"She ran over our neighbor Old Lady Norris' pet dog Harry, twice." I confided. "She then proceeded to tell her that the dog deserved to be put down for being with her."

"That's sociopathic!" Bubbles exclaimed.

"I know. But no one believed Old Lady Norris' claims. And even I vouched for her. Berserk was untouchable because she kept the police captain's son, Johnny, stable. They let it go..."

"Totally unfair and unjust!"

"In our third year of college, when Brick had broken up with Berserk over her inability to stop flirting and bedding every cute professor we had, suddenly his eyes were opened to the other twin. We went on one date-" One totally magical and romantically surreal date. "- before Berserk was knifed by who we later found out to be Johnny. And then Berserk dropped the biggest bomb she could."

"She was really a 'he'?"

"Nope; she was pregnant with Brick's baby."

Bubbles' gasp sucked all the oxygen in the air away. "She didn't!"

"She did. After that, I stayed around Sea Price for a couple of months, and then bailed to Columbia University. I never looked back no matter how tempting it was."

"And now he's found you again? Coincidence or stalker-vibe?"

"Brick is crazy rich; if he wanted to track down his sister in law, he would have found me years ago."

"Sister in law?"

"I'm assuming. He always swore he'd never let his child grow up with a father who resented him."

"Well, we've got three hours to make you into the untouchable queen. I'm calling Miss Bellum's Amour." Bubbles snapped her fingers and her cell phone appeared in hand. "And Buttercup."

I groaned. "Just let my misery be!"

"No! We are striking a blow for your unrequited college love."

"I never said it was unrequited!"

That stopped Bubbles cold. "Spill it all."

And with sky blue eyes giving me the death glare, I did.

Normal POV:

Blossom nervously glanced from Bubbles to Brick, to Luca Triton. The other CEO seemed focused on Bubbles and her halter style dress. Or, if she was reading him right, what was under it.

"So Blossom, how've you been?"

Startled, Blossom met Brick's searing blue gaze. "I-I-"

"She's been super busy, right boss? After graduating magna cum laude from Columbia, she got snatched by that firm Garrison, Harrison, & Sons." Bubbles conversed for her.

"Then how did you become the brain of New Image?" Luca- who said he liked to be called Boomer- asked.

"Well, my friend Buttercup came in for a contract review, but she also expressed some concern for her gym and dance studio venture. I fooled around with some marketing details, gave her a look and jingle, as well as a target focus- and wham!- Power & Grace is a success." Blossom answered. "I had a lot of fun so I started out small, funding it with my trust fund. It grew from just small businesses to big companies."

Boomer smiled at Bubbles. "And how did you acquire such a lovely secretary?"

Bubbles blushed at his compliment. "Her mother was an old friend of my mother... So we met up in college and later when I was looking for a job."

Blossom added, "Her main sell point: she makes a mean latte."

"I'd love to try it." Boomer purred. His sea blue eyes roamed over Bubbles like a thorough scanner. Bubbles giggled furiously.

The Lounge's live band announced a slow song. Boomer offered Bubbles a hand. "Care to dance, Divine."

"It's Dev-" Bubbles blushed and stopped herself. "Okay... But you can call me Bubbles."

As the two blondes drifted into the crush of bodies, Blossom felt a wave of unease settle over her. Her control threatened to snap as Brick just stared at her.

Finally, she started to get up. He did too. She sat back down. So did he. Growling, Blossom cut him a cold look. "Stop copying me."

"Stop avoiding me." Brick countered.

Blossom rolled her eyes. "I'm playing it safe, Brick. Like I always do." Like I'm expected to, she wanted to add. "What would you rather I do? Ask what your kid- that you had with my twin sister- looks like these days?"

Brick's face tightened. "I'd rather not say. Let me just clarify that Betsy isn't in my life and never will be again, as long as I can help it."

Blossom shivered when he leaned over and whispered his thumb over her lips. "How... How can I be sure?"

He took his hand back and Blossom let out a small moan of regret. His blue eyes twinkled at her, causing a flush over her body. "You just have to trust me."

The band changed to a sultry song, one meant for hot summer nights, red lace and seduction. Brick stood, offering her his hand. "Let's dance."

Blossom raised her hands in defense. "Oh, no, I can't- DANCE!" Brick dragged her out of her seat and onto the dance floor.

"Just follow my lead, sweetheart. You're doing fine." Brick murmured in her ear.

They danced to two other songs before they returned to receive their food. Boomer and Bubbles were cooing over each other at the table. Just as Blossom relaxed, her cell phone vibrated. The screen showed her it was Buttercup. "BC-"

"Blossom, Noah is here and he's flipping out! He won't calm the hell down and things are- Whoa!- flying! Did you just hurl a TV at me?!"

Blossom stood. "Hold on, BC. And keep Noah safe."

"Who's going to keep me safe?" retorted BC.

"Call Butch. I'm on my way." She hung up. Turning to a concerned Bubbles, she simply said, "Noah."

"Need me to help?"

"No, stay, have a good time. BC and I can handle it." She gave a polite smile to Brick. "Good bye."

As she scurried off, she felt Brick's eyes tracking her. Her entire being trembled but she kept going to her car. "Thank you, BC..." she murmured, starting her car.

XX

AK: So, who ruined the night? And can you guess who Noah is? R&R, please.


	5. Chapter 5

HoD 5

AK: Blossom was made to be a mom in this one. and guess who's back...More characters!

*Noah - The trio's surrogate little brother/son. He is a former problem child that the trio look after at times. Has uncontrollable magic.

*Nora - Noah's mother. She works as a waitress at Billie-Jay's Diner. She sometimes goes missing for days. Had an abusive relationship with Noah's father. Is not magical. She is frightened of losing Noah.

Butch Power - BC's business partner. He is a werewolf as well. Calls BC 'Grace'.

XX

Normal POV:

Blossom hugged a heaving Noah to her chest, murmuring soothing words to him. "Miss Blossom, I'm scared... What if my mom doesn't come back? What if my dad got her?"

Noah's mom, Nora, was a beautiful woman with weak willpower. She couldn't stomach the thought of living without Noah, or a male presence in her life. She also went AWOL for days, making Noah panic.

"You know that's not going to happen." Blossom told the nine year old. "She loves you too much."

"Yeah, kid." Butch Power agreed, swaggering out of the kitchen with a root beer in hand. "You're her life line."

Butch was BC's business partner and a member of the Power Pack, of which his father was the alpha. He was harmless enough considering all the silver she kept and could conjure.

Noah was still sniffling a little later when Bubbles came back with ice cream. "I just couldn't stay on the date knowing Noah was here crying," she explained, handing Noah a banana split.

"Hey Blondie." Butch said from his spot in the recliner. "Where's mine?"

"Down at the ice cream parlor, wolf boy." She passed by him and Butch growled suddenly. Both Bubbles and Blossom stared at him.

"I smell cat." Butch snarled. "Werecat."

Bubbles tensed. "Werecat? I don't like them."

"Well the scent of one's all over you."

Blossom tuned them out and went back to Noah. "Do you want to spend the night here? Or should I put up a protection spell in your flat?"

Noah mulled over his decision for three spoons of ice cream. "I'll stay here."

"I'll leave a message for Nora on her machine." Blossom said. "Finish up as much of that as you can and go take a bath."

"Yes m'am." Blossom left Noah on the couch to go get the phone. BC met her at the breakfast bar, passing her the cordless. Her ebony and green haired flatmate returned her attention to the letter she was reading.

After a few minutes, BC extended her claws and tore down the paper, crumpled it, and threw it into the trash can. At Blossom's raised brow, she said, "Junk mail."

Sighing, Blossom went back to her call. "Nora, it's Blossom. I just called to tell you Noah came over here. Don't worry, he's safe and staying the night. You can pick him up whenever. Good night."

XX

Brick was less than happy as he stared up at his penthouse ceiling. Blossom had left in the middle of the dinner. All the walls he'd broken down with the dancing and witty conversation would most likely be back up by the next meeting. And who was Noah? Her kid? She had a kid?

He reviewed his *cough* legally obtained file on her. No record of a kid. Or a husband, thank God. But one fiancé that didn't work out. Maybe he'd shackled her with his love child...

"Brick," Boomer called. His blonde friend waltzed in wearing deep blue basket ball shorts and a thin white t-shirt. "Devine just called inviting us to dinner on Saturday. Guaranteed Blossom showing."

Brick smiled. His werecat friend had finally found his mate in the perky blonde assistant. He couldn't be more over the moon for the guy, but he was more interested on the blonde's intel on Blossom.

He sighed, pulling out the old picture of Blossom he still had. It was one that she probably didn't know he had, from their prom. Blossom stood silhouetted against the full moon, head slightly turned away. She'd looked so beautiful, so perfect. He'd decided right then and there that he would try to break it off with Betsy, give her ample notice he was through. But she'd clung like a barb on his side.

When he'd finally navigated a break up with solid grounds- so as to not backlash at him and his budding romance with Blossom- she'd pulled that pregnant scare and Blossom had run for the hills.

He wasn't about to let the ghost of an AWOL Betsy get in the way of his soulmate. And he wasn't about to let Blossom hide from it either. They would be together- no matter what.

XX

The ocean's waves lapped at the sugar white beaches, creating a perfect scene. However, instead of calming the bikini-clad redhead, it irritated her. It mocked her. It made her want to kill.

"Darling," she purred to the elderly man next to her. "Shall we skip tonight luau in favor of your health?"

The elderly man- Frederick Dallas, multi-billionaire mogul- shook his weathered head. "Oh, no cupcake. We only have two more days together before we have to part. I want to spend every moment with you."

The redhead's blood red lips thinned. Her affair with the old married geezer was coming to an end, but not because of what he thought. Time, or rather his lack thereof, was on her side.

As he shakily reached for the martini, the redhead rehashed he plan. In a few moments, she would need to be walking away.

"Oh dear." Frederick muttered. Looking over the redhead saw that he had spilled his alcohol. She let a small, devious smile grace her lips.

"Freddie, darling, allow me to get you another one." She rose to her Jane Adele clad feet and strut away to get him another.

At the cabana, she ordered an apple martini and another concoction for the old fart. She eyed the bartender, a handsome tanned stud with longish hair and smiling eyes. He would do to get over her "grief" at letting her boss' husband die on her watch.

As she slipped the man her number, she timed her return to the second.

Strutting back to her seat, she saw him choking. On point, she picked up speed. "Freddie, darling?" she squeaked.

His balding white head thrashed from side to side, blood convulsing from his mouth as if it were a geyser. "Freddie, no! HELP! SOMEBODY!" she screamed, dropping the drinks.

Onlookers gathered and she dropped to her knees in the sand and sobbed next to him. "Anybody...Save him..." she heaved, letting tears stream down her face.

A few hours later, the redhead fell back on her hotel bed. She smiled to herself, congratulating herself on a perfect act. "And now I am a multi-billionaire..." she sighed. "And to think all I had to do was deceive that old geezer a few months before his death. Ah, and let's not forget his wife's neglect..." She cackled softly to herself, watching as the lights played with the shadows against the ceiling.

"Oh, my heart's song, the games I play to get to you..." She turned on her side. "Don't fret, my love... Your Berserk is coming back. And this time, Brick, I'm staying..."

XX

AK: Ah, the sweet return of love...and the not-so-sweet circumstances of Berserk's return. She's a killer in a bikini- and you thought sharks were the biggest threat on the beach. R&R, please.


	6. Chapter 6

HoD 6

AK: Life is like an onion, peel it and you cry-buckets. Another character update:

*Norman- Nora's conniving older twin brother. He is "friends" with Noah's father. Very shady. Blossom extremely dislikes him. He sold out Nora once, causing her to get brutalized by his "friend", and felt no shame.

XXX

Blossom waved at Noah as he walked up the steps of his school, rosy cheeked and bright eyed. His cinnamon hair stuck from under his red baseball cap, reminding her of Brick's younger days. If they'd had a kid... She shook her head. "Enough 'what if's. You're your own woman now."

As she pulled her car out of the the car loop, she looked back at Nora laying out on the back seat. "Are you okay, Nora?"

The willowy woman barely lifted her ash blonde head. "Huh- Yeah, yeah... Thank you so much, Blossom... I can't thank you enough for taking care of Noah these past few days." The woman groaned. "I've been such a mess..."

"Nora, you're a single mother with a brilliant son who adores you more than life itself. You're far from a mess. And I should be thanking you. You let me stay with you all those times in college."

Nora gave a faint smile. "You pulled more than your own weight then and you pull the whole city now... I just need some rest..."

Blossom let her long time friend doze in the back as she drove them back to the condos.

As she pulled up to the Point Bay Condo parking lot, she noticed a familiar car. Norman's car.

Blossom threw up a glamour over her Dodge Charger, making it appear to be a Dart II. "Nora, did you tell your brother where you were?"

Nora nodded slowly. "Why...?"

"Because Norman's here." Same license plate number and car; yep Norman was here. The scumbag who would sell out his own sister for a fix.

"Nora, I need to glamour you until we get to my apartment, okay?"

"Norman's here?" Nora became alert and scared.

Blossom nodded. "We need to glamour you. As soon as we get out grab my hand and don't let go. Okay?"

Nora nodded furiously.

When Nora touched Blossom's hand, Blossom let her magic wrap around Nora and create a new person. A tall, blonde All-American type man stood in Nora's place, dressed in a Lumberjack shirt over a grey shirt and blue jeans. Timberland boots replaced Nora's own ratty tennis shoes.

"Let's go." Blossom led the cloaked Nora up to the elevator and up to her floor. Blossom nearly cringed when she saw Norman crouched at her door.

"What are you doing?" she demanded, keeping her voice level.

Norman scrambled to his feet, his clumsy, bulky frame making him less than graceful.

"B-Blossom... Still drop dead gorgeous as always."

"Norman; still drop dead brainless as always. What are you doing here in front of my apartment?"

Norman shuffled his feet. "I need to see Nora. It's about something important."

Blossom rolled her eyes. The last time she'd bought that, Nora had returned a week later with a black eye, fat busted lip and a sprained wrist; courtesy of Norman's "good buddy" Owen Walker, Noah's father.

"Tell it to my 'I-Don't-Care' box." Blossom hissed. She unlocked her apartment door and went inside, followed by Nora-in-disguise.

Norman was persistent, though. "Please, Blossom. It's too important- I- I just need a moment."

Blossom jabbed him in the chest with her finger magic welling up. "For those you cannot heed my words, I bid you stoop for an hour with the birds."

In a swirl of magic, Norman disappeared, probably to Point Bay Park. Sighing, Blossom released Nora's hand. The glamour dispelled, leaving Nora in its place.

"Thanks, Blossom..." Nora swooned a bit and caught herself. "I'm really tired..."

"You need to sleep." Blossom urged.

"Okay... But who did you turn me into? Another old lady?" Nora teased as Blossom ushered into the other guest room.

"Nope; today, you were the All-American hunk- blonde hair blue eyes, casual style..."

"Damn, wish I could've seen that..."

"Sleep, Nora. That's what you need."

Nora snuggled into the bed and Blossom pulled the covers up to her chin. A knock on the door took her away from Nora. She closed the room door and stalked to the door.

"Who's there?" she demanded.

"Package for a Miss Blossom Bourne," a breaking nerdy voice called in answer.

Opening the door a crack, she saw a Shipping Ace delivery guy outside. She let it open fully. "I'm she."

"Huh? Whatever, can you please sign here?" He held out a clipboard.

Blossom scrawled her signature on the line and hand back the pen. Nerd boy- or Lazlo, as his name tag proclaimed him- then picked up a cardboard box to her.

"Thank you for choosing Shipping Ace, have a shipping fantastic day." Lazlo grumbled, and hurried to leave.

Blossom shut the door with one hand and placed the box on the breakfast bar. She slit the packaging tape, pulled back the flaps and peered in, thinking they were the new wedges Bubbles had bought her from Shoe Shangri-La. Instead she shrieked, blasted a spell at the and backed away. No effect. She went and dove for the phone, dialing Grace & Power's number from memory.

"Hello?" a gruff voice answered.

"Butch! I-It's Blossom, can you and Buttercup- I need you guys to- Help." She looked over at the box and watched in horror as the black viper slithered from the box.

"Please! There's a black viper- w-with like red and yellow markings and it's coming at me."

"What-"

"I can't use magic on it. It's like it's spell proof!"

The black viper coiled its way to her.

"Okay, we're getting Mindy to spell us in. Where is it?"

"Breakfast bar."

"Okay, back away."

Blossom did, scrambling from the approaching viper as it seeming grew.

She closed her eyes against the brilliant onslaught light and magic. Suddenly- and gratifyingly to her- Buttercup and Butch stood between her and the snake.

"What the-" BC growled.

"A Darkness viper? How'd this get into the Western Hemisphere?"

"I don't know! But please-!"

"It's a magic snake. It feeds off of magic and grows." Butch's nostrils flared. "You're leaking magic."

Blossom tightened her control. "That better?"

Butch sniffed. "It'll do..."

She backed against the wall. "Please do something! Nora's sleeping in the next room."

BC stiffened. "Damn... We need to cut off its head. And then find its heart mark."

"Heart mark?"

"The weak point of every magic snake; the spot varies with each breed." Butch clarified. "You might not want to see this..." He extended his claws in unison with BC's.

XXXX

Brick sat up from his lounging by the pool, feeling his heart clench. It felt like half of him was in terrible pain. Blossom.

"Brick, you have a package. From Shipping Ace." Boomer announced.

Brick frowned. "Don't tell me it's another 'kissing-ass' present from the Murdoch Exchange group."

"Nope; it's just addressed to you." Boomer passed it on.

Brick tore it open, only to scowl. "It's from her again."

"Who?"

"The twin to the most perfect angel on earth."

"Huh?"

"Blossom's twin sister and my ex, Betsy." Brick growled. "Get a load of this. 'My dearest Brick, I regret that I cannot come to you right now, but I send in my steed the virginal blanket upon which we once bore witness to one another's undying love. Remember me as you sleep with it.' Spew."

"What the- She kept the blanket where you guys-"

"Don't remind me..."

"Sickening... I'm glad Devine has no whack jobs coming out the wood works." Boomer grinned. "I know where they live though."

That got Brick's attention. "Lead the way. Right after I burn this..."

XXXXX

Blossom peered into the box and pulled out a white card with deep wet red letters on it.

"Is that..."

"Yeah that's blood." BC clarified.

Blossom opened the corners and almost dropped the card. "It's- it's from Betsy."

"'Stay away from my destined hubby'," Butch read over her shoulder. "'Or I'll send something much worse your way. That is, if you survive this one. All your endless pain, Berserk'."

BC gave a low whistle. "The girl is twisted inside."

"Way too creepy. But if she looks like you then she must be hot and creepy." Butch grinned.

"How did she even know...?" Blossom whispered hoarsely. She curled up on the couch.

"Ah, don't cry!" BC came and sat next to her.

"Yeah, women with tears are such a hassle." Butch picked up her head, sat down, and let it rest against his thigh.

Blossom frowned. "The couch was comfier."

At that moment the door swung open. "Oh my Goddess, Blossom! Are you okay?" Bubbles cried.

"Hey Bubbles... You missed the beheading..." Blossom joked. Then she noticed the two figures behind her. Boomer and Brick.

"Werewolves." Boomer spat.

"Werecat." Butch sneered.

"Blossom, are you okay?" Brick demanded.

Blossom's vision went spotty. "Blossom? Blossom?!" Bubbles shrieked. Too tired...

XXXX

AK: So Betsy (Berserk) is making more than waves. R&R if you want Boomer to shift in the next chapter! Shirtless.


	7. Chapter 7

HoD 7

AK: Caution: SIX PACKS ARE HOTTER THAN THEY APPEAR.

XXXX

Blossom tossed and turned in her dreams. She was being consumed by her magic. The very power that coursed through her veins was swallowing her whole. She gasped for air as she tried to stay above the waves of magic that tried to envelop her.

She'd always had this problem. The magic in her blood was like a disease. If she had too much magic stored in her blood, she blacked out. If she got too excited and increased her magic flow, she blacked out. But too little magic? She could also black out...

Suddenly, she felt herself being pulled out of her body.

She floated above her body, watching things occur around her. Butch was shirtless, standing in his "come at me" stance, glaring at Boomer.

Boomer looked lethal, his expression like a panther on the prowl. He tossed his leather jacket to the floor and snarled at Butch.

Brick looked torn between staying at his business partner's side and going to the couch. For me? she wondered.

"Get ready to taste your own tail, mutt." Boomer hissed.

"Only in your dreams, kitty cat." Butch growled.

"Boys... Please, not inside!" Bubbles wailed. "Blossom's right there on the couch!"

But her words were lost when Boomer pounced on Butch, claws extended.

Claws? Another Shifter? Blossom thought back to the slur Butch had thrown his way. Werecat!

She'd never met one... But she knew her best friend Bubbles had a history with them, something to do with her father's infidelity...

Butch seemed to be holding his own, and then he slashed down at Boomer's chest, cuttinit is shirt to ribbons of cloth.

Boomer simply tore off the rest, leaving himself bare-chested and illegally gorgeous. Was it wrong of her to ogle at his pecs and how they looked so delicious? Blossom thought hard about it. It wasn't like she liked him THAT WAY, she was just admiring a magnificent work of art.

His smooth-looking abs flexed as he endured Butch's oncoming kick. But he deflected it too well, and sent Butch careening toward Blossom's body. No! She wanted to move but didn't know how to get back to her body.

Suddenly, Brick was there. He grabbed Butch's arm and tossed him to the side with a grunt. Butch slammed into the wall, knocking down a few trinkets.

Brick's eyes flashed red for a moment before they went back to their normal sea blue. "Take it outside." Brick growled.

Butch looked like he would argue, but BC glared him down. "We'll settle this later, kitty cat."

"As long as you bring your own body bag, mutt." Boomer hissed.

Butch frowned but didn't retort. Instead, he picked himself up and sniffed the air.

"Hope we didn't wake Nora..." Butch muttered. "Doesn't smell like it though..."

"You can smell when she's awake?" BC questioned.

"She gets all hormonal when she's awake. Spikes her scent. Right now, she's normal." Butch grunted. "But I smell Norman." He jerked his head to the door.

Bubbles' eyes flashed silvery blue. "I'll crush him."

"Right after I mangle him." BC threatened.

"So this 'Norman' guy... Who is he?" Brick asked.

"It's a long story. When B's awake, maybe we'll talk." Bubbles sighed.

Blossom threw up her hands. I can't wake up! I think I'm drowning in my own magic here! But her voice didn't reach them. She was in a virtual limbo, stuck here until her magic overflowed enough to alert Bubbles of BC.

What now? she wondered.

"I can help," a voice somewhat similar to Brick's purred. "Just give in to me..."

Great, now I'm going crazy... Suddenly, she felt her magic rising in a crest to swallow her. Damn, I thought I escaped...!

"Give in to me..." she heard the voice purr again.

I can't- I won't- I need air... I need space... I need- I... Give... In...

XXXX

Her magic was a strong and steady stream of chaotic power. Delicious and oh so very potent. Like vintage wine, or well aged fine cheese. Only a thousand times more intoxicating...

He gorged himself on it, sucking up the excess magic and slowly slipping from Blossom's mind. He absently tongued his fangs, which had poked through his gums at the sight of her.

To know that she would be alright calmed him. Brick stooped to pick up Blossom's now peaceful form. "I'll take her to her room... Where is it?" he asked.

Devon immediately scrambled away from Boomer to show him the way. They came to one of the larger rooms he guessed their condo had. There were about five, since their condo took up most of the top floor.

When he moved to take off her pendant, Devon slapped his hand away. "She never takes it off. Never!" Her eyes flashed silvery blue again.

The heart shaped pendant reminded him of their cavern hideaway, and how the ceiling crystals would glow with their ethereal beauty. "Okay..." He eyed her as she flittered around Blossom's room, leaning back against the wall out of her way. "How long have you known Blossom?"

Devon raked her fingers through her blonde hair as she stamped in the time for the alarm on the bedside table. "Ten years and counting... She's never really talked about you... Until the day you came to the meeting." She stared at him. "You were with Betsy right?"

He stiffened. "She told you?"

"And I know a few things about Betsy. I went to the same away school... Betsy had a reputation. She was often called the Wicked Bitch of the West Wing Dorm..." she chuckled humorlessly.

"So?"

"So... I know Blossom's still got feelings for you. She really likes you and I feel that, in time, she'll give her heart to you again." Her eyes took on that silvery glow again. "But hurt her and I promise you, not even Luca can protect you from the Witch Coalition's retaliating force. You won't even exist in memories when we're through."

She pressed in one more thing and the turned to him fully, instead of looking over her shoulder at him which kind of made him feel weird. "You seem like a nice guy, Brick, and I want to see my blood sister happy... Just don't make me regret ever encouraging her to talk to you again."

Brick nodded.

"Devine," Boomer poked his head in. "Can we talk? I really need to tell you something."

"Sure." Devon gave him a passing glance as she went with his buddy.

The door closed and suddenly he was alone with a sleeping Blossom. He slowly went to her side, tracing her soft cheek with a finger. "A heart for a heart, Red... I have you mine... Can you give me yours?"

After he made one last adjustment to her room, he pressed a kiss to her forehead. "Dream of me, Red..." He slipped out of her room.

XXXX

Berserk bit her bottom lip as she waited for her contact to arrive. The package he would deliver was vital to her plan. Vital indeed...

Something tugged at the hem of her dress. She looked down to see her son, Damien, holding his ratty old teddy bear.

"Mom, can we leave yet? This place is bad... And someone's going to die here." Damien asked.

She smiled icily. "You're right, someone will... You! If you don't shut up and go wait in the car. Honestly, why your grandpa couldn't keep you just five more days..."

Damien let out a sniveling whimper and Berserk almost backhanded him. She calmed herself. No bruises, she cautioned, she couldn't afford another trip to the emergency room. She'd simply drop him off at her father's house then go do her business.

She watched as the auburn haired boy slunk off back to the parking lot behind the pub. "Cute kid," a voice rasped.

She turned around to see her contact, a monkey-faced short, hairy man who called himself Mojo. "He's a nuisance. Now, the package?"

He reached into his trench coat and pulled out a long black box, like a necklace box only sharper on the edges. "The venom you requested."

Berserk picked up the briefcase she'd put his payment in. "And your reward..."

They made the exchange. "Guaranteed to burn a witch to ashes immediately with one dose?" she questioned.

"Of course..." Mojo eyed the briefcase. "All three hundred thousand dollars?"

"Would I lie to you?" Berserk smiled sweetly. She let the smile drop a second later. "Now, I have to go."

As she left, she saw a Witch Coalition officer in her peripheral vision. "Perfect... A little detour..."

She led him to the back of the pub, pretending not to notice until he grabbed her arm. "Betsy Bourne, you are in violation of the Witch's Ethics Conduct. You will be tried as the highest criminal-"

"Oh, save your breath..." Berserk hissed. She opened the black box and pulled out the black glass perfume bottle. Without batting an eyelash, she sprayed his face.

He screamed in pain as the venom went to work. But slowly, much to her surprise and pleasure. She watched it eat through his skull into his gray matter brain and spread down his neck into his body. Delighted, Berserk sprayed him again, this time in the crotch.

By the time she returned to the car, she was satisfied and the officer was dead. As she got behind the wheel, she smiled contentedly then noticed some ash on her blood red pumps. She simply shook it off. "Not my concern."

As she pulled out of the pub's parking lot, she thought about her plan.

"Damien," she said. She met his brown eyes in the mirror with her own hot pink ones. "How would you like to meet your aunt, Blossom?"

XXXX

AK: She's a bad mamma; Berserk, not Blossom. Man, I make 'em mean. Also, can anyone guess what Brick is? Hints:

1. He has fangs.

2. He enjoys the night.

3. He's dreamy...

Bonus: he may or may not be a hybrid of two things. R&R, please!


	8. Chapter 8

HoD 8

AK: So... We had a lot of guesses... All of them were pretty monochrome... So yeah:

1. Brick's not a warlock (male witch)

2. Not a werecat (only Boomer)

3. Not a werewolf (too much testosterone already with just Butch being one...)

4. Keep reading to find out

XXXX

Blossom woke up with the driest throat and biggest cotton mouth ever, frowning as her brain slowly registered her place of origin. "Oh, yeah... Brick brought me here..." She got out of bed and went to get a glass of herbal-spiked water.

As the herbs worked their magic, she slowly made her way back to bed. After downing the rest of her nightly drink, she slid back into bed and tried to make sense of it all.

She knew a few certain things about what had happened last night:

1) Boomer was a cat Shifter, (possibly jaguar...)

2) Her passing out was not due to natural causes

3) Brick wasn't the fully human guy she thought...

4)...

She stopped her list when a chilly night breeze came in and made her shiver. "But I never leave my window open..." Blossom murmured, getting up to close it.

Just as she placed her hands on the panes, a dark shape passed over the moon. Blossom blinked. "What?"

The shape passed again, only closer, and Blossom backed away, hand flying to her necklace. Had Berserk found her again? Had she come to finish what her snake couldn't?"

No, it wasn't Berserk, Blossom corrected herself as the figure swooped closer on black wings. It was Brick...

"What...?"

"You're awake," he smiled. "I was beginning to think I had siphoned too much magic..." His eyes were blazing red and seemed to look straight at the heart of her.

"Brick, what the hell are you?" she shrieked.

"Not exactly hell, sweet lips... Can I come in for this? Promise not to bite..." He flashed his fangs. "Unless you ask for it."

Blossom cleared her throat. "O-okay, fine..."

She stepped back and he climbed in, his wings fading away. "W-what did you want to talk about?"

"Us." His voice dropped an octave and he stepped closer.

"Wha- Why are you-"

He stepped even closer and Blossom instinctively began to retreat. They kept up the dance until suddenly, Blossom fell back on her bed. Brick pounced, pinning her there. "I want to talk about us, Blossom... Don't run away." His voice- the way it aimed straight for her heart- made her limp, weak in the joints; like the mere sound was a drug to her senses.

"Don't Brick..."

"'Don't' what? Make both our dreams finally come true? Do what we've both wanted for years?" He lowered his head to her throat, and gently closed her lips over the juncture.

Blossom couldn't move... Her magic wouldn't cooperate. It wouldn't gather at her fingertips...

"That's because it wants me, too..." Brick purred in her ear. "Your magic wants me the same way you do... Don't fight it, Blossom. Just give in."

Blossom's eyes widened. He could read her mind?! What was he? She'd never heard of a creature like that...

In the distance, Blossom heard a faint beeping sound. As Brick assaulted her neck with sucking kisses that left her even more boneless on the silk sheets of her bed- wait, when did she get silk sheets?- the beeping came closer.

"Shit," Brick rumbled. He pulled his head from his work to look down at her. "I have to go."

"Wha-" She arched off the bed in a silent cry of pleasure and pain when he dipped his head to the juncture of her shoulder and neck again, sharply biting her there.

And soon he was off of her and out of the window, flying away on his black feathered wings...

XXXX

Blossom woke up with a gasp, eyes wide and breath panting. It was morning, and the sun was shining. A bluebird flew in from her open window and boldly sat on her shoulder as she contemplated her dream. When she'd successfully ushered the little bluebird back out, she fingered her necklace pendant.

"That dream was too real..." she concluded. "It had to be evoked." Shutting her window, she made her way to the bathroom adjoined to her room to shower. She didn't even bother to look in the mirror, simply controlling her brush and comb to straighten the tangles in her hair.

Dressed for work- in a red knit-tunic, belted at the waist with a thick black belt, and black slacks, with red flats- she made her way to the kitchen. She hedged the area where the black viper in ident had happened and went around to pour herself some orange juice.

"Morning, Blossom!" Bubbles chirped from behind her.

"Morning, Bubbly." Blossom replied. "Morning, BC."

BC smiled. "Pour me one too. OJ in the morning makes for a good training session."

Blossom poured her green clad roommate a glass and slid it her way. BC toasted her and then downed the glass' contents.

"So breakfast this morning, chief?" Bubbles asked.

"We'll stop by the Fresh Bakery and pick up some croissants." Blossom said.

Bubbles stared at her hard, scrutiny plain. "What's wrong with your neck?"

Blossom's free hand flew to her neck. "What's wrong with it?"

"It looks like you were attacked by a leech." BC stated.

"A leech?"

"Or an überhyper boyfriend with a fetish for necks..." Bubbles supplied.

"What?! But I-" Blossom conjured up a mirror and looked at her neck. "How did this happen?!" There were two hickeys on her neck, one at the juncture of her shoulder and neck, the other farther up.

"Maybe you had a midnight lover?" BC suggested.

"Impossible; you always keep the windows shut so that the the moonlight doesn't amplify your pheromones." Bubbles said.

"But it was open when I woke up..."

They all fell silent.

Blossom never left her window open at night. Her magic was amplified by the moonlight, and her magic in turn amplified her pheromone levels. Hence, a Disney princess wake up scene with birds and deer fluttering around her.

"Freaky..." BC murmured. "The lower hickey looks more like a marking."

Blossom stiffened. "Marking?"

"Yeah, were-folk do it for mates- you bite the juncture and release a pheromone into the bloodstream to mark the mate as his or her own." BC clarified.

"But no were-folk have been around lately interested in me." Blossom pointed out.

"Maybe that blue eyed guy from last night."

"Not Boomer!" Bubbles snapped.

Blossom and BC blinked at their friend. "Sorry," Bubbles mumbled. "It just couldn't be him..."

"I know." Blossom agreed. "Let's try a Revealing spell after work when we get home. Then we'll know who the mystery guy is."

XXXX

Brick slowly sipped his coffee, eyes still glowing red faintly. He eyed his business partner as he practically pranced around in a cheery mood. "Isn't it too early for you to be this bright and sunny?"

Boomer smirked. "Did your period start today or something?" he retorted.

"Shut up!" Brick groaned.

"What's the matter? Rejected in dream land?"

Brick glared at his friend. "Worse; I was so close to making her admit she still loved me- and then the alarm YOUR GIRL set went off." He downed the rest of his coffee and grimaced. "Now what the hell am I supposed to do?"

"That's life..." Boomer smiled.

Brick really wanted to knock the sunny smile off of Boomer's face. "What are you smiling about? From what I understand, Devon hates werecats."

Boomer's smile took on a conniving light. "But she wants me. She let me into her dreams last night. Yeah, you aren't the only one who got dream-action last night." He rubbed his hands together. "My Devine has some sort of spell on her. She can share dreams with her mate as long as she's met him. Which means I can woo her day and night."

Brick wanted to smack the smile off of Boomer even more. "Whatever!" He rose to go take laps in the pool.

"Oh? So you don't want to 'casually' tag along with me on my way to Devine's office and woo Blossom, too? Okay..."

Brick changed directions and headed for his room to change. "I'll drive."

XXXX

AK: Such a simple man... Such a hot dream. I think I'll have to change the rating next chapter. R&R please.


	9. Chapter 9

HoD 9

AK: Everyone is guessing! And so far, only a couple are close. I'll give you half of what he is in the story, guess the other half. Also, more characters

*Damien Bourne: Berserk's nine year old son. He is clairvoyant, from his father's side. He is more mature than his age lets on. He has green eyes and brown hair. His birth certificate lists Brick as his father.

*Johnny Sheriff: Damien's biological father. He is mentally unstable and obsessed with Berserk. He has never spoken to his son, though he sees him. He is the police captain's son. He is thirty two.

XXXX

Blossom secluded herself in her office, trying to finish the pitch for Pictured Perfection, the professional photographer studio. She kept her eyes forward and on the black-and-white page, kept her black pen moving across the paper, and tried not to look or even think about red.

Red would launch her into another fantasy about Brick ravishing her against crimson silk sheets... Red would make her want to call him and ask him to buy crimson silk sheets, a California king sized bed, and some colored contacts... Red would make her also ask him to throw her over his shoulder, take her back to her place and show her every Karma Sutra pose he knew.

Yes, red was a dangerous color today. In fact, she'd had to change her colors in the car, using magic to make all the red on her pink.

"You've got to hide me!" Bubbles rushed into her office and locked the door.

"Bubbles!" Blossom groaned, forced to look up. Why had she decorated her office in red?

"Boomer is downstairs! I can't go to lunch with Pierre from Accounting."

"I thought you were mooning over Boomer." Blossom frowned.

Bubbles' eye grew stormy. "That was before I knew he was a cat Shifter. I told him it was off last night."

"Yeah, well, what do you want me to do? Glamour you?"

"Yes!" hissed Bubbles.

"Fine; I'll take you downstairs in a glamour. But that's all." Blossom gave in, getting up.

"Thank you, thank you, thank you!" Bubbles gushed.

Covertly, they made their way to the elevator and pressed the ground floor button. Blossom constructed a glamour over Bubbles as they descended.

"Right now, you look like Bella from Accounting." Blossom whispered.

"That elderly lady that smells like fresh baked cookies and cinnamon?" Bubbles whispered back.

She was also out for the day, having asked to leave early."Yep, you look like her down to the shoes; now look sharp." The elevator reached their stop and they stepped off.

In a bright and loud voice, Blossom said, "Right this way, Miss Swanson. Don't want to delay you anymore than you need to."

"No problem, Miss Bourne..." Bubbles chirped, her voice coming out an exact duplicate of Bella's.

As they turned the corner, Blossom's heart stuttered and she stopped. Bubbles halted next to her.

"Mind talk," she demanded in a low whisper.

Mind talk was a technique Bubbles, BC, and she had created for occasions like this. Using a current of magic that ran with their strong friendship, they could speak on a telepathic level.

*You never told me Brick was here!*

Bubbles shot her a worried look. *You never asked. What's wrong?*

*A lot of things... Whatever, just remember to concentrate on the glamour, Bubbles, because my control may slip a little.*

They continued on, almost passing the duo of devilishly handsome tycoons. Almost.

"Blossom." Brick said her name in his sinfully decadent voice.

Blossom flushed scarlet to her roots. Keep control, keep control, she inwardly chanted.

"Brick... Lovely to see you. Bye!" She practically dragged Bubbles out of there.

"Blossom, have you seen Devine?" Boomer asked. He looked searchingly around.

"Well, she told me a while ago she had a lunch date with Pierre from Accounting..." Blossom honestly answered.

"A date?"

"A lunch date. It's a pretty common thing around here-"

"Bubbles dating the other staff?" Boomer seethed with jealousy.

"No!" both Bubbles-Bella and Blossom answered in unison. Blossom shot Bubbles a look and continued, "Lunch dates; they're a very easy way to take care of some trivial business, and they're almost always platonic."

"They'd better be..." Boomer muttered menacingly.

Blossom frowned. "Bubbles told me she broke up with you last night."

Boomer winced. "A... minor problem that we will fix later on."

"If you can change the kind of Shifter you are, then go at it." Blossom snorted.

"Are you against me being with my mate?" Boomer growled, stepping closer to stare her down.

Fury shot through Blossom like molten magma. Her protective instincts flared. "No; I'm against Bubbles getting hurt." She matched his cat's eye glare with her own rose tinted glare. She won out. "Look, you look like a nice guy and all, and your even her type... But she doesn't want you for a reason. Mate or not, if you hurt her, I will use every forbidden spell I know and make you wish you hadn't." She narrowed her eyes. "Now if you'll excuse me, I have someone to escort to her car."

She turned on her heel and ushered Bubbles-Bella out of the door.

"Blossom..." Bubbles began.

"No time; Mr. Whiskers might get suspicious soon. Go!" She shooed Bubbles off, keeping the glamour in place until she was far out of range.

Sighing, she pulled her cell phone from her pocket and dialed the front desk. "Hey, Carol, it's Blossom... Devon left through the private exit, and will be returning from lunch with Pierre from Accounting."

"Sure, Miss Bourne. Have a great lunch." Carol chirped.

Clicking off the call, Blossom made her way down the street to her car. She needed some sweets, and she knew just who to go to.

XXXX

Brick frowned as he watched Boomer slump into the passenger side of his deep red convertible. "You... Really didn't think this through, did you?"

Boomer growled low in his throat. "I want to choke something. What the hell could make her deny our bond so vehemently?!" He banged his fist on the dashboard.

"Watch the interior, Rambo." Brick warned. He glanced at Boomer's profile. "She's right though."

"What the hell, man? Whatever happened to the guy code?"

"I meant that Devon may have a reason for her dislike to cat Shifters. Try investigating that first before you go all he-man on her and force her to bond. Use that mush you call a brain and ask her some questions. I don't know, investigate her past. Go deep man." Brick advised.

"I just don't see it. Why all cat Shifters? Why not one particular kind, like pumas, or tigers..."

"You want her to hate your baby cousin, Jasper?" Brick raised a brow.

"I'm just saying, it would make life easier." Boomer groaned.

They drove in silence for a while. Then Brick voiced a niggling concern. "That old lady who Blossom was escorting out did not walk like an old lady..."

"Huh?"

"Think about it. When was the last time you saw an old lady strut like she was walking down the catwalk?"

Boomer scrubbed a hand over his face and groaned. "That was Devine!"

"Yep; in a glamour." Brick clarified.

"Please tell me you were at least fooled a little?"

"Sorry, I smell Blossom's magic at work the second the got to the floor." Brick smiled. "Wild cherries, vanilla and sex... The very essence of Blossom."

"Your girlfriend's made of sex, vanilla and cherries?"

Brick growled. "You think she isn't?"

"Nothing like that... It's just that to me, she smells like vanilla cake. I'm not particular about that kind of cake..."

Brick nodded his acceptance of that notion. "Maybe it's a mate thing..."

"And maybe it's a dark angel thing." Boomer pointed out.

"Hey, I'm only half dark angel. The other half is-"

"I know, I know... Can we go home? I need to start planning tomorrow's attack."

"On the campaign we're launching?"

"On Devine."

XXXX

Her auburn hair spilled over his bare chest, a sharp contrast to his pale skin. As she trailed her lips down his torso, Johnny panted after her. "Do it... Do it!"

Berserk frowned and stopped, returning to her saddling position to crack her hand across his face. "Don't ever order me around. You're beneath me. You're lucky I even indulge you."

Johnny meekly nodded. "I'm sorry... I- I just love you so much..."

Berserk rolled her eyes. "Then shut the hell up and let me work you."

Just then, her phone rang. Sighing, she grabbed it. "What is it, Damien."

"Don't do it, mommy... Don't do it to dad..." Damien's whiney voice urged.

"Get off of my phone or so help me..." Berserk threatened.

"But mommy, I don't want daddy to die."

"But Damien... He's only going to die for a second..." Berserk shut off her phone and placed it back on the bedside table and picked up the dagger, dusted with the venom, and set to work.

As she carved into Johnny's chest, she ignored his screams of pain. What she was doing was necessary. He would be her soldier... He would take down Blossom for her. And all Berserk would have to do was cry on Brick's shoulder...

"Etran... Neomisa... Reprembo... Vacturii..." she recited.

As Johnny cried out in agony, Berserk watched the encantation do its work. Cracks formed on his skin as it hardened to stone. Every naked inch on his turning granite. He arched off the bed in intense pain and Berserk smiled when he twisted and riled, unable to get up as his hands were cuffed to the iron headboard.

Even the blood on his skin turned to stone...

When at last Johnny lay still and quiet on the bed, Berserk did the last act. She plunged the dagger into his chest, right above his heart.

XXXX

Damien threw a pair of jeans into his backpack along with his teddy, and then a sweatshirt. He had to leave. He had to leave now. He knew he was next. His mother would turn him into her second ghoul if he didn't leave. She'd use him to kill his own aunt. And probably even more.

He grabbed his birth certificate from the safe in her room and threw it in there too. Zipping it up, he dashed downstairs from his grandfather, Grandpa Sheriff's house.

They were all asleep in front of the TV, and his movements were silent. No one needed to know he'd been there.

As he set off for the bus station, he counted out the money he had been given by his grandfather, Grandpa Bourne. "Seventy dollars should get you to your great aunt's house. She'll help you get to Blossom's. I can't go with you. I'll only slow you down. But take this address." Grandpa Bourne had urged.

And so the nine year old was on his own. Not much of a change really. But now he had to get to New Haven, Michigan, by himself.

He bought his ticket and got on the bus. He didn't even whimper when it pulled out of his hometown.

XXXX

Damien nibbled on the cookie his great aunt Nancy gave him. "Now, you want to go to Blossom, do you?" Nancy asked. "Such a sweet girl... She always preened my garden whenever she visited... Not like that nasty Betsy... Let's see... I believe she's in Nantucket... No, it was Wisconsin..."

Damien silently handed her the address on the slip of paper. Her beady eyes scanned it slowly. "Oh, yes. She's there! Well now, how could I forget? Okay, honey, hold on to your backpack!"

Nancy cast her transportation spell on Damien, enveloping him in the scent of vanilla sugar cookies. When he opened his eyes next, he was in the backseat of a car. A woman who looked like his mother, only gentler and not as heavily made up, was walking towards the car.

"Aunt Blossom?" he said, hesitantly.

The woman almost jumped. She stared gapingly at him. "You- How did...? Little baby Damien?"

He produced the bracelet she'd bought him as a baby. The fine gold trinket was much too delicate to wear, and he'd kept it hidden so his mother couldn't pawn it. "Hi, Aunt Blossom. I came to visit."

XXXX

AK: Aw... Isn't Berserk the cruelest? And Damien is so sweet. So Noah and Damien will be vying for motherly affection from the trio... And Berserk is after Blossom's blood. Yep; that life.


	10. Chapter 10

HoD 10

Truth & Circumstance

AK: Damien is so sweet! Like a human sugar packet coated in cotton candy. Time for a little Pow-Wow session.

XXXX

Damien nibbled on his fries, looking up at his aunt. As she chattered on her phone with Great Aunt Nancy. Every so often, her blush rose colored eyes glanced his way.

"But to spring him on me?... Nana Nancy, I'm not saying he's unwelcome... He's my nephew, of course he's welcome... But Noah and Nora... No she is mooching. Norman's dogging her so she's hiding out at my flat... Nana... Fine; we'll talk later."

Damien stopped eating all together when she finished her call. He studied her as she massaged her temple.

He couldn't quite see the resemblance between his mother and his aunt. Sure they had the same features and the similar faces, but that was where it ended.

His aunt Blossom had stylishly trimmed shoulder length hair which made her face look younger and fresher, while his mother wore hers in long auburn waves she spent thousands to keep auburn and not gray. Blossom was barely wearing any makeup he could see, but his mother shellacked her face with any makeup she could afford. Blossom's eyes were a blush rose pink from her magic's manifestation, while his mother's were hot pink from her dabbling in the dark arts.

"-mien? Damien?" Blossom called.

"Yes, ma'am?" he choked out. "I didn't eat it all so there's plenty for me to bring home for the week."

Blossom raised a brow. "Why wouldn't you eat it all? It's your lunch. I'll get you food tomorrow."

Damien's eyes widened. "Really?"

She nodded, smiling. "There's no need..."

Damien tucked into his food with earnest. His eyes nearly teared up with joy as he ate his burger. He'd never tasted food so good before.

"Slow down..." chuckled his aunt. "You look like a ravenous wolf."

Damien tried to, but FOOD! He polished off his meal in less than a minute.

"Hungry, huh?" Blossom speculated. She glanced at her watch. "We've got to leave."

"To pick someone up?"

"Yep; and to get you some clothes too. Don't think I didn't notice you only had that tiny backpack." She wagged her finger. "You're gonna need a lot more clothes than that."

Damien brightened. She wasn't sending him back. Did she know how much that meant to him? "Okay!"

As he climbed into the car, a dark cloud settled over his mood. Or did she just not know? Would she send him back if she did? He hoped not.

XXXX

Noah frowned as Blossom's car pulled up to the school, curious as to who the boy in the passenger was. Blossom got out of the car and waved at him, as usual.

"Noah!" she called.

He jogged over to the car. "Hi, Blossom."

"Noah, this is Damien, my nephew. He's going to be staying with me. But we need to go shopping at the mall. Wanna come or should I drop you at the flat?"

Noah thought about. Hard. He could sense a cryptic aura around Damien. His magic was standing on end with it. But he didn't seem harmful.

"Okay. I could go for mall crawling." He glanced over his shoulder at Hannah, his über-stalker. "Bye Hannah..."

"Bye, Noah..." Hannah sighed, chewing on a braid of her long mahogany hair. Her amber eyes stared at him as he got into the back seat.

Hannah was creepy like that. He had fan girls, for some odd reason his moody attitude was popular with all the third through fifth grade students. And his soft spot for underdogs and younger kids made him popular with everyone else. He just didn't get it. At least it wasn't Valentine's Day, yet.

XXXXX

Blossom saw Hannah Dempsey waving goodbye frantically from her rearview mirror. She winced at the girl's desperation. It reminded her of her own concerning Brick, when she was her age.

"So, how was school?" Blossom asked, changing her thought course.

"Cool; Mr. Aims said my behavior was rapidly improving all things considered. He wants to have a parent-teacher conference to talk about my stellar improvement."

"That's great!"

"With you."

"Huh?" She frowned. "I'm only listed as emergency contact..."

"I think he wants a date with you." Noah sounded nonplussed about that.

Blossom remembered her first encounter with Mr. Aims, at the start of the school year when she'd had to pick Noah up early for fighting Bryan Roads. He was a lanky man with plain features. Nora had been sick and had yet to meet him. Did he think she was Nora?

"I don't think so. Besides, I'm too busy." Blossom turned into the mall parking lot and luckily snagged a spot close to JC Penny's doors.

"Okay, we'll need jeans, t-shirts, pajamas, Maybe a new backpack..." Blossom listed items absently as she climbed from her cherry red car.

"And some skates." Noah piped up. "I need new ones. You promised we'd shop for them."

"And skates... So, let's go!"

XXXXX

Brick let his sense expand as he walked the mall with a mopey Boomer. "Blossom's here."

Boomer perked up. "Devine, too?"

"No, sorry bro."

Boomer deflated. He practically shuffled. "Then why am I here?"

"Because to get dirt on Devon, you'll need her blood sister's trust. And besides, I can't have the best man at my wedding being glared at by the bridal party."

Boomer sighed sadly, a far cry from the overly confidant man from this morning. "I don't know man..."

"Look, how about you stop by the office now." Brick dangled his keys in the lovesick man's face. "Dev's going to be alone up there without interference..."

Boomer was gone with the keys in a blink. "Now to find my True Mate."

It was relatively easy once he searched for the scent of her magic. It was like nectar from the heavens...

He followed it into JC Penny, into the kids section. And there he found her, with Damien.

"Blossom? What are you doing here with- with Damien?" Did that mean Betsy was floating around here somewhere? Sh**, he'd been ignoring her for a while. Now she was close? He'd have to put out guards against her now...

"Brick?" She looked up at him, her blush rose eyes questioning. To everyone else they were blue, he knew. For a time before his powers came in, at eighteen, he'd thought they were blue too. A calm, sea blue that reminded him of times at the beach with his mother. That's how he'd fallen for her.

"Mr. Rush..." Damien paled at the sight of him. His entire body shook.

What was he hiding? He took a step forward, towards Damien, but a chaotic blaze of magic made him stop.

The other boy, probably Damien's age, stepped between him and Damien.

"Who are you?" Brick asked.

"Step off old man." the kid barked.

"Noah, it's okay... Brick wouldn't hurt a fly." Blossom tried to reason.

"Then why is Damien so afraid? Something's not right about him, Blossom." Noah's eyes flashed silver.

"Kid..." Brick felt his fangs extend in warning.

"Stop it, everyone!" Blossom chided.

Her magic circled Noah, ebbing away his. "Noah, don't color the present with the past. Brick won't hurt us. Right, Brick." She stared him down.

"Right." Brick said. "I'm just curious as to why Damien is here."

Damien's legs gave out and he fell back against Blossom, who caught him under the armpits. "Damien!" Blossom gasped.

He whimpered. "I'm sorry... I'm so sorry! I didn't want to tell you! I knew you'd make me go back!"

"Go back? Damien- Wait, let's go elsewhere for this." She sighed, allowing her magic to encircle all of them. "Take us home."

They were enveloped in the aroma of vanilla and cherries, and suddenly, standing in Blossom's undamaged living room.

"They cleaned up after you left." Blossom explained. She sat down on the couch and pulled Damien down into her lap. "Now tell us, Damien. What are you so sorry about?"

Damien was still shivering, but he calmed down considerably. "I- I didn't tell my mom that I was coming... I ran away, Aunt Blossom. I ran away from home."

Blossom gasped. "Ran away? Does Daddy know?"

"Yeah... He encouraged it; said I'd be better off with you than Betsy... She's planning to kill you, Aunt Blossom! She even turned my real dad into a gargoyle."

"Real dad?" Blossom echoed.

Finally, Brick thought, the truth.

"My real dad, Johnny Sheriff."

"The guy who knifed Berserk all those years ago?" Brick raised a brow.

"What?" Damien said.

"Never mind that- Johnny's a gargoyle. And your real father. And she's planning to kill Blossom. Why?"

Damien sucked in a deep breath. "In the Nightingale family, when twins are born, one is born with the magic beyond compare and a heart of gold to maintain it. The other is normal."

"I remember that story; my mother used to tell us it every night before she died..." Blossom murmured

"But somehow, my mother sucked the magic from your mother's remains when she was younger and she's gone crazy since. She wants Aunt Blossom's birthright, because her accidental magic ran out years ago. She's been stealing magic from other sources since, and slowly submerging deeper into the dark arts." He turned his eyes to Brick. "She can sense the power she craves in you; it wouldn't just be financial power and fame she'd gain from you, would it?"

Brick tensed. How did this little kid know? He sighed, defeated. "Yeah..."

Blossom stared at him. "What exactly are you? I know you aren't human."

Brick stepped back from them a little, and then with some hesitation, he extended his wings and fangs, and let his glamour drop.

Blossom's mouth curved into an "O", Noah scrambled to hide behind Blossom, and Damien quickly joined him.

Behind him, growling and snarling erupted. "Reaper!" Butch Power's slur cut through the air right before it was disturbed.

"No; Butch, don't-" But Blossom's warning fell short.

Brick dissolved his wings and whirled to defend against Butch. And chaos ensued.

XXXXX

AK: So, Brick is half-dark angel, half Reaper. I'll reveal which side came from which parent later, but y'all can guess right. Anywho, Butch is once again intruding (he has a key) and going Rambo on things.


End file.
